Tired of Running Out of Time? Implement these Time Management Tips!

There is not enough time in the day? I have too much to do and can't get it all done! Sound familiar?

If us moms had a dollar for every time these thoughts crossed our minds, we would be millionaires! The truth is, with all the different hats that you wear as a mom, it often feels impossible, overwhelming and STRESSFUL to get all of your mom duties done in a day.

When stress enters the picture, we all know that our rock star mom hides in the closet and the hot mess comes out. And that's no good for anyone in the family! So what's the solution?

Follow me!

Implementing some quick time management tips into practice can allow you to get more done and lead to more harmony at the end of the day. Are you ready? Of course you are!

SET PRIORITIES 
Being the haute mom that you are, of course you want to do it ALL! But let's face it, you can't! So set priorities! What are those non-negotiable things that need to get done today? Stick to two or three things that are most important and tackle those first. Anything more than three may cause you to feel overwhelmed and we all know what that leads to - procrastination!

MUST VS. WANT
When thinking about those priorities, learn to differentiate between things that MUST get done and things that you WANT to get done. Yes, we all WANT to kill those dust bunnies in the corner of the room but does that take priority over picking your kids up on time? You decide!

SCHEDULE QUALITY TIME
You are a rock star and that means that you multi-task all day long. But think to yourself, does that allow you to work most efficiently? How often do you set out to fold laundry, get sidetracked by the dust on the dresser, end up dusting and never getting the laundry put away? Sound familiar? We all do it! Unfortunately, all this leads to is a lot of things started but not finished. When setting out to do a task, be 100% focused on it.

BE MINDFUL OF YOUR "BEST" TIME
There are certain timed of the day when you are at your best. For example, do you have the most energy in the morning, afternoon or evening? Maybe that is when you schedule your workout time. Is quiet time a priority for you? Perhaps an hour after the kids get home is not the best time for that! Learn when you are most energetic and focused and schedule the things that require that during those peak times.

TIMEBOX
Time who? I know, right? Timeboxing simply means scheduling start and ends times to your tasks. If it's time to go to Target, give yourself a specific time for when you have to leave Target (because we all know we spend hours there - I've done it.) Knowing that you only have one hour to get in and out will keep you on track and more focused. This leads to less time wasted getting sidetracked by the cute toss pillows that were not on your shopping list. (They are adorbs, aren't they?)

MAKE IT OFFICIAL
You wouldn't not show up for a scheduled appointment or meeting right? Put your schedule into your phone or planner! Make it official! If 6 a.m. - 7 a.m. is workout time, schedule it into your phone and set that alarm! Gotta be out of Target by 2 p.m. Schedule it! Whether it's down time, carpools, shopping or a phone call you need to make, write it down, put it in the phone and treat it like an appointment! This will keep you on schedule and feeling like a sexy, savvy and systematic mom at the end of the day.

Whether you are a career mom, work from home or run your household full-time, you deserve to feel less stressed and more harmonious at the end of the day. These six tips will create the systems and routines that you need to get the job done!

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My Kids Live on Goldfish - Barriers to Being a Healthy Chef

Every mother dreams of being able to prepare and deliver amazing, healthy meals to their families. Visions of plates full of fresh fruits and vegetables and roasted (skinless, of course) chicken dance through all of our heads. And we watch with pride as our children gobble it up and politely ask for seconds.

Ha! As if! 

Please tell me why nobody pulls us aside when our kids begin eating solid foods to tell us the reality of what feeding our littles is like. Even IF we had the time to prepare those yummy meals, would they even eat it? You all know the answer to that.

The truth is, for me, that my kids live on Goldfish crackers. Well, Goldfish crackers and chicken nuggets with some apple slices thrown in here or there. Do they eat ANYTHING healthy? Of course! With some serious crying, whining, threatening and bribing that may or may not take place.

If I am being honest here, being that role model chef, is not all that it's cut out to be, is it?

There are many barriers that us moms face when preparing meals for our families. And those barriers alone are enough for most of us to throw in the oven mitt and pull out the hot dogs.

Common barriers that all moms face:

Time - Who HAS the time? Most families have erratic schedules. Whether you work outside of the home or are a stay at home mom, it is nearly impossible to have set meal times. Between your and your spouse's work schedules, kids' homework, practices and lessons and meal preparation, who can get dinner on the table by a decent time?

Budget - Fresh fruits and vegetables and trendy "health" foods like quinoa and coconut oil are expensive! The most budget friendly foods we can find include those that are canned, frozen or come out of a box. While not the poster children for healthy foods, these types of food answer a lot of our prayers, cheap, kid-friendly and easy to prep.

Lack of Resources - Coupon clipping, recipes, the ins-and-outs of meal prep and all things every mom wants. But a lot of us don't have these tools! Yes, Pinterest is awesome, but who has the time? Yes, I would love to make steel cut oats for breakfast, but how do you make them? Meal prepping on Sundays would save so much time during the week but how is it done? Do we have to eat the same thing every night because ain't no child in my house is going for that unless it's fries and chicken fingers.

These barriers are the exact reason why we find ourselves buying the same four things as the grocery store or inventing family nights like "Pizza Tuesday" and "Mac 'n Cheese Monday". But it DOESN'T have to be this way. No it doesn't!! Stay tuned for the solutions to these common mom problems and let's get our family food habits back in track!

In the meantime, share YOUR biggest barrier!

Time With Your Children: Priceless

Working for a school district has some benefits. Last week I was off for a much needed Spring Break. Although I did enjoy a couple of days to myself, the time that was really priceless was the few days that I spent with Stella. I often feel guilty that she goes to day care five days a week. I know many children go to day care every day of the week but that doesn't make it any easier. Although I have been feeling financially restricted with trying to save up for my time off when the new baby arrives, the hubby and I decided that a trip out to Palm Desert was something that we should do.

On a side note, Palm Desert is one of our favorite getaways. Back in the day, we would head out with a cooler of adult beverages and plenty of water, heading to the hotel with the best pool scene. Things, of course, have changed but as I looked around at what used to be, I was more than happy to head to the quiet pool with my water, Stella's milk cup and some Goldfish snacks.

We have Stella in swim lessons but to see her enjoy the pool just for fun was a treat. In an attempt to spare other guests the view of me, six months pregnant in a bathing suit, I handed over the pool duty to hubby. I could not have been happier sitting in the sun, watching the hubby and Stella splash around in the pool. One day it rained so we stayed in our hotel room a good part of the day and played matching games, put puzzles together, and napped (my favorite.)

As we prepare for the second baby to arrive, I am realizing how important my time is with Stella. Weeks shy of her second birthday, she has grown so much and each day I see her accomplishing some new task or speaking some new word. Many of these things come as a surprise (yesterday when I sneezed she told me "God Bless You Mommy") and are things I did not teach her. While this shows me how much I miss out on, it also reminds me how precious my time is with her.

As always, there is never a perfect balance in life. In my eyes, being a career mom that can stay home with her children would be a dream but is not quite realistic. I figure that I am lucky to be able to spend days off with her when I can and even luckier to have realized that my time that I do have with her is priceless. So many people have told me to enjoy this time with her and it couldn't be more true. I know while there are things that I won't remember one day, these are the days that I will never forget.

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No Time Like The Present

There was a good amount of time where I think I kind of fought being a parent. I was super excited when Stella was born but I can now admit that there was a part of me that didn't want to let go of my old life. Maybe I just didn't know how.

I am one of those people that always seems to want more. My hubby says I will never be satisfied. I don't think this is a bad thing. I love my jobs, being with friends, and staying busy. I can never sit still. When Stella was born, I was still determined to maintain my "old" lifestyle by keeping both of my jobs and a social life. I could juggle it all. I was the queen of multi-tasking.

Let's fast forward to the present; almost two years later. Things have changed. I am now five months pregnant with my second child and do NOTHING while I am at home except clean and give Stella my full and undivided attention. Work at home? No way. I do not watch TV when she is awake, I do not get on the computer, and I truly try to limit my cell phone game (darn you Words With Friends and Draw Something.) I have come to learn that the most important thing is to spend time with Stella. What little free time I do have should be fully devoted to my child (sorry hubby.) Some my disagree with me and maybe not all children need this. Stella's mood and behavior shows me that my undivided attention when I am with her is exactly what she needs and enjoys. The story times, the songs we sing, and the endless games of "matching" that we play is when we find her the most happy.

I know that this isn't possible all of the time. Sure, there are dishes to be done, food to be cooked and so forth but when I do have down time, it does not need to be spent watching TV or reading or texting on the phone when I can spend quality time with Stella. Is it difficult to do? Of course it is. There are many things that go on in my mind including the endless lists of things to do. But, I have learned to tune them out. Because in the end, I am happiest knowing that although there may be dirty dishes in the sink, I spent an hour of my free time with my child. I won't remember doing the dishes but I will remember that time. And so will Stella.

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A Little Lesson From Stella

I am always talking about the little things that Stella teaches me. As a mom, I am constantly learning, with every new stage, new word, and new behavior. I am learning how to balance work and family and still keep smiling the entire time. The semester started this week at the university that I teach part-time at, so as of yesterday, I am now a working mom with two jobs. Say "hello" to working three nights a week.

Although I had a thousand things to do this past week, I wanted to really be sure to spend some time with Stella. I chose to push many things aside, and give her my full undivided attention Saturday and Sunday, letting her pull me here, sit me over there, and play this or that with her. During these times of "Stella says", I learned another lesson. Well, maybe just reminded of a lesson learned but lost.

Being present is crucial. My husband commented on how great a mood Stella was in all weekend, and I can't help but think that it was due to the fact that she had the full attention of her mommy whenever she looked for it. No screaming, no hitting, no temper tantrums. She politely obliged to the directions that were given to her, including finishing her meals and going down for her nap with little objection. Stella was in a wonderful mood from morning 'til night. Of course, this made the time that I was spending with her that much more enjoyable.

It is so easy for us moms to get caught up in "other things." Exercising, working, returning phone calls and emails, doing the housework (although you will never see me putting that as a priority), and all those other mom things we do can sometimes take over our lives. It is always our intention to put our children and our families first, but I will be the first to admit the more often than not, it is our families who get put on hold because of those other things that have to get done. The truth is, those things don't need to get done. Our children need and deserve our time more than those emails, the people we work for, and certainly more than the treadmill or the dust bunnies in the corner.

As always, my little girl has shown her wisdom and reminded mommy about the important things in life. With things about to get extremely hectic (thank goodness my half marathon is this weekend), I needed to be reminded that stopping and smelling the roses with my little one is the best way that my time can be spent.

Smell the roses (even if they're not real)

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